Scott Allen

Scott Allen serves as Assistant Professor of Ecohydrology & Physiological Ecology in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is also the Associate Director for Student Recruitment and Success in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences.

Education:

• Ph.D., Louisiana State University, 2016
• M.S., Oregon State University, 2012
• B.S., University of Maryland, 2009

Research Focus: Dr. Allen's research integrates hydrology and plant physiology to understand how ecosystems use and cycle water. His primary interests include plant water uptake mechanisms, ecosystem responses to disturbances, and hydrological partitioning in forested systems. He employs stable isotope techniques to trace water movement from precipitation through soils and into plants, examining how environmental changes affect these processes.

Recent work explores evapotranspiration partitioning across diverse US ecoregions, revealing how winter versus summer precipitation differentially sustains ecosystem water use. His investigations span from snowmelt dynamics in subarctic shrublands to fog-water interactions in coast redwood forests, demonstrating the critical role of water source and timing in ecosystem function.

Student Advising: Dr. Allen is actively recruiting graduate students to pursue research on topics including plant water source partitioning, ecosystem disturbance impacts on water-carbon balances, and the effects of forest management on energy budgets and hydrological processes.